The present invention relates in general to telephony and videophony, and it relates more particularly to an improved device for facilitating user control of the functions of a telephone or a video phone.
During a video phone call, it is important for the caller to remain relatively stationary relative to the video phone camera in order to ensure that the distant party receives an image of adequate quality, and in particular an image which can be watched under optimum conditions without fatigue and without difficulty.
However, during a video phone call, one of the parties may need to perform control operations by acting, for example, on moving parts or keys of the video phone.
For example, if the video phone is fitted with a manual image-framing system, a party may need to change the direction in which the camera is pointing in order to change his or her own framing, or else a party may desire to change the brightness or contrast settings of the display screen or of the video phone, etc., or the party may desire to put the installation in a so-called "hands-free" position by pressing on an appropriate key of the terminal.
Such user actions are undesirable insofar as they degrade the viewing comfort of the other party.
In particular, a user may need to move close to the terminal, such that the user's face comes too close to the camera. The image is then degraded It is also possible that a user may pass a hand through the field of the camera and very close to the camera when performing such a manipulation or adjustment. This causes the image received by the distant party to be temporarily masked either completely or in part, and naturally this is undesirable. Finally, a user may leave the camera field in order to perform some operation.